Tabitha Estella Prince Black
by bethanypotions
Summary: In the Hogwarts admissions announcement section of the Daily Prophet there is an announcement that causes Snape to realise one of his potions failed approximately 11 years and 9 months ago. Explore how Tabitha Estella Prince Black came to be and her journey through Hogwarts, which could be made even more interesting by the fact she was raised by the Malfoys.
1. The Prophet announcement

_**A/N I hope that you enjoy this, it's just an idea that has been floating around my mind and I thought I would write it. Let me know what you think in the reviews, and ask any questions you have. I do not have a BETA so excuse any mistakes, but let me know so I can amend them.**_

"Tabitha, your Hogwarts acceptance announcement is in The Daily Prophet this morning, would you like to read it whilst we eat our breakfast in the dining hall? After all, it is a special day. Draco, do not sulk so, yours will be announced in June." Narcissa said as the children walked out of their bedroom doors opposite to each other, walking down the hall towards her and Lucius' room.

The three of them made their way to the dining hall where Lucius was already seated, the house elves upon seeing their arrival began to place the food on the table, with several of Tabitha's favourites featured. Lucius looked at his niece and son as they sat down and nodded as he passed the newspaper to the girl.

Tabitha began to scan the page, noting that the portrait that Aunt Narcissa had insisted was taken the week before by a fancy French photographer had in fact been a wise decision as it was possibly the best photograph on the page of announcements. The Prophet ran announcements throughout the year on page 5 regarding the next September's intake of first years, obviously only purebloods and some half-bloods were featured, although Tabitha had never seen a Weasley announced despite knowing for a fact several of them were enrolled at Hogwarts, how curious.

Severus Snape walked into the Great Hall, ignoring the inane chatter of the students and appalling lack of table manners on display, to his chair at the head table. As he sat the Daily Prophet was delivered by an owl, he flicked through to page 5 in order to preview this weeks announcements of the new dunder-head admissions to the next cohort. As he began to read, sipping on his black coffee, he spluttered, and then coughed to cover his surprise.

 _"Tabitha Estella Prince Black (Pictured, right, by Jean Blanc) has recently had her eleventh birthday (2_ _nd_ _February) which, brought by an eagle owl, confirmed what her loving Aunt and Uncle, Lady and Lord Malfoy have undoubtedly known since her birth. That she is undoubtedly a powerful witch with potential that shall be unlocked at Hogwarts this September. Miss Prince Black has been raised by her Aunt and Uncle alongside her cousin, Heir Lord Draco Lucius Malfoy, since her birth. Lady Malfoy confirms that she has never, nor does she have the desire to see or meet her mother, and has in fact had her health certified by world-renowned MediWizard Reginald Oak. Her father has been notably absent in her upbringing, however it is clear that she has not been disadvantaged by this, the softly spoken, dark haired beauty is clearly a well cared for young witch with untold potential and is our latest edition to the Hogwarts First Year Class this September."_

"Prince Black" Snape muttered to himself, as he turned to meet Dumbledore's twinkling gaze he realised that the old man had known the entire time. One of his potions had failed, spectacularly. Merlin.

 _ **A/N, I have the 1st Chapter in mind, let me know if you'd like me to publish it or if this isn't a story you'd pursue. Thanks :)**_


	2. Snape's home visit

_**A/N: Sorry it's been so long, here is chapter two!**_

"Why, Severus, I did wonder if I would hear from you after the announcement. However, I did not expect to be _graced_ with your presence in my floo. By all means step through." Lucius Malfoy smirked at his office fireplace, Severus Snape's head was hovering there, with an expression that Lucius would best describe as, befuddled, although it was brief flash of emotion.

Lucius' office was designed to be grand and intimidating, his father Abraxas Malfoy had also received private guests in this room before Lucius. The room was structurally the same, the intimidating, cold, white marble columns at each corner of the room, the fire place matching, with carvings of the Malfoy family crest, and various other symbols - perhaps of the families married into the Malfoy line, for example several constellations could be found within the marble details of the room, a clear nod to the Black family. However the drapes, flooring and other textiles were purely Lucius' taste. Perhaps the only area of the manor that Narcissa's interior design visions had not reached, Slytherin Green was fine for robes and school materials, but not for interior fabrics, she had once told him snippily. The room was predominately green but instead of the usual silver accent, an ice blue was used to compliment and contrast simultaneously. There was only one comfortable chair in the room, Lucius' desk chair, made from a dark ebony with threads of silver accenting the delicately wand-carved patterns (complex writhing snakes around the Malfoy family crest), padded with a green silk cushion that had several protection and comfort charms woven into the very material. The other chairs, whilst they looked like miniatures of Luicus' throne-sized chair, were no more comfortable than the benches students sat on in the Great Hall.

So, it gave Lucius great pleasure to watch Severus Snape sit in his office looking every bit as uncomfortable as the man's seemingly paralysed facial muscles would allow. Lucius' was well aware that his wife and the two children would be listening to every part of this conversation, so he needed to tred carefully. Narcissa had reiterated (several times) the importance of Tabitha's feelings.

"It would be the greatest pleasure for one to know how the child that is currently in your _custody_ is a Prince by blood, if I may be so bold as to wonder if the claim to my bloodline is founded?" Snape spat at Lucius, intensely ignoring the glass of Firewhisky placed infront of him by a small House Elf.

"It is apparent to oneself, Severus, that you are well aware of how Tabitha is both a Black and a Prince. Let's cut the pleasantries, and discuss what it is you truly wish to discuss, **Potions Master**." Lucius replied, his eyes gleaming.

From the next room, where Narcissa and the children were watching through the one way mirror, Naricssa made a most un-ladylike grunt. How _dare_ Lucius bait Snape like that, alluding, quite obviously, to the fact that the Malfoy's were aware of the experimental potion that Snape had tested on her deranged sister, eleven years and nine months (and a few weeks) ago now. Tabitha and Draco shared similar confused looks, Draco looking a hair more bored than his counterpart, after all the conversation was not about him.

Snape drew in a breath, shortly but sharply.

"You see, Severus, I believe you are not here off of your own back, instead, Dumbledore is the one who has blown this smoke into you. He has managed to make you feel emotions you yourself know that you have no business feeling. Especially about **my** Ward and Niece. Now, let's discuss the only thing you care about. The fact that you are not an infallible Potions Master after all..." Lucius' eyes were dancing in merriment, he had a severe amount of resentment and anger towards Snape and this was a sweeter revenge than he had imagined.

Snape glared, stonily at Lucius, his gaze flickered briefly to the mirror above the fireplace. For a moment, Tabitha was certain he was staring into her soul.

 _ **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! I finally felt inspired to carry on the story line, I have a few more chapters planned out. Please review and let me know what you think! - Bethany :)**_


	3. Severus Replies

_**A/N I'm feeling really inspired at the moment. I hope you're enjoying this story. Please leave me a review and let me know any thoughts or suggestions that you have. Disclaimers are on my profile page, but i reiterate I own no recognisable characters or anything from Harry Potter, all rights reserved to the respective owners.**_

Lucius' eyes flickered to the family portrait that was hung on the wall opposite the fireplace, it was disillusioned to appear as the Malfoy family emblem to anyone who was not a Malfoy or a Black. He watched the four figures who were formally posing together, when the scene changed and Lucius had a hand on his son's shoulder as Draco's arms were linked with his Cousin's, both children grinning widely, whilst his Wife was smiling - showing a hint of teeth. He focused on Tabitha.

Tabitha had, somehow , managed to receive the best of each of her parents. A deranged Death Eater, permanently incarcerated in Azkaban and an ex-Death Eater Spy Potions Master - a most unusual mix. Even more so, that she was the daughter of a Pureblood and a Half-Blood, she was three quarts.

At eleven years old she already stood at 5 feet and 5 inches and she had not experienced a growth spurt yet. Her Aunt Narcissa enjoyed the fact that her niece grew so quickly, as the family tailor had to come often to measure her for new robes, and it was the perfect reason for several trips to new boutiques. Her hair was an extremely dark brown, though you would be forgiven for thinking it was jet black, it was not quite the ringlets of her mother but it was not straight and lanky like her fathers. Her hair was curly but not unkempt in the way that most pictures of her mother's portrayed, although Narcissa had shown Tabitha several pictures of her mother when she was a young girl and her hair then was loose ringlets like Tabitha's own. She was pale, extremely pale, however several vacations to the South of France, the Caribbean and several other Wizarding resorts meant that Tabitha had a small, pleasant splattering of light brown freckles across her nose, which gave her face much needed colour. Her eyes were a lighter brown than her father's. Her nose was certainly much straighter and smaller, however it was slightly hooked. She had the same hands as her father and she was naturally adept at Potions. However she possessed her mother's talent for drawing people into conversation, although it was pleasant rather than nefarious. Academically, her tutors reported that she was an extremely fast learner with a good aptitude for a range of subjects and an undeniable magic presence.

Lucius' musing were interrupted by Snape's throat clearance, clearly he had gathered his thoughts for a come back.

"I do not make _mistakes_ Lucius, the best discoveries often occur from an unexpected course of events." Snape replied, the last 's' sounding like the hissing of a snake. His eyes had a new light in them, Lucius realised the man had thought of a course of action.

"Indeed, my friend" Lucius said smoothly, inclining his head towards his guest.

Behind the wall Tabitha raised her eyebrows, she was incredibly confused. There had been a long pause between the two men, and now her uncle was calling this man, well her _father_ , his friend.

She glanced at Draco, who rolled his eyes and said "He does not mean it literally."

Narcissa shushed them, despite the heavy wards and silencing charms, she was drawn into the conversation in the office and did not want any distractions.

"Indeed. I believe it is quite clear that Ms Prince Black is my daughter, however I am sure Dumbledore will be able to go through all the correct channels at the ministry to grant me visitation, _at least._ After all, September is but a few months away. Where is the girl?" Snape answered.

Lucius had begun to expect something like this. And whilst Dumbledore most likely would be able to wrangle Snape visitation, he would not be able to manage custody, not with Lucius' own position in the cabinet. This could be used to his advantage. Tabitha was an intelligent young girl, largely thanks to the opportunities he afforded her, and with the correct schooling she could become a useful source of information for Lucius. This would be a carefully played game of political chess, Snape had played the first move but the game had just begun.

"Do that, Severus. Do. Tabitha? She is with her Aunt and Cousin, although I wouldn't be to bold to say that they are more like a mother and a brother to her." Lucius said tauntingly. He raised his hand, and Narcissa ushered the children out of the room and into the office through the main door way.

Tabitha stood with her heart racing but with a calm, cool facade that she had been schooled on since she was a toddler in her and Draco's etiquette training. Draco stood beside her, trying to mask his curiosity at the man that was _technically_ his uncle (his cousins father but not his aunts husband). Narcissa looked every inch the Ice Queen that she would portray at every public appearance, she glanced at Severus, wondering at his true motives towards Tabitha.

Severus Snape regarded his offspring from the highly uncomfortable chair that he sat in. He stood quickly. He nodded in the direction of Narcissa and the children.

"Lucius." The man said stoically as he stepped into the floo and disappeared from Lucius' fireplace, leaving his daughter staring after him.

 _ **A/N Next chapter, either Dumbledore's reaction and Severus' thoughts (plus meetings at the ministry) or focus on Tabitha, her daily life and the way she and the rest of the family feel? Leave a review and let me know :) - Bethany**_


	4. Reflections

_**A/N Another chapter, please review to let me know any ideas or comments you may have!**_

Snape's mind raced as he travelled through the floo back to his quarter's in Hogwarts Dungeons. Now that he was away from lucius his emotions flickered much more plainly on his face. Distraught, angered, annoyed, confused and scared were but a few emotions the ordinarily stoic Potion Master was feeling and displaying. This array of emotions was worsened by the figure he saw as he stepped out of his fire place and into his front room.

Albus Dumbledore.

The infernal Headmaster was grinning at Snape. Snape however was in no mood to entertain with a quick flick of his wrist, he wandless erected additional wards, a wave of his magic gently escorted the headmaster out of his rooms. Dumbledore could easily shield against this but for some unknown reason decided to go with the 'flow', _literally,_ and allow Severus to brood in private. And brood he did, for many hours well into the wee hours of the morning.

A daughter, he had a daughter, a bloody child.

/

Narcissa had called the governess to lead the children away to their study room to take some lessons as she and Lucius both needed to think carefully about the evening's proceedings. However the pair did not discuss with each other their thoughts immediately, Narcissa's thoughts turned inwards and she contemplated how this visit had disturbed her feelings.

Narcissa felt angry on her Sister's and Niece's behalf. Although she imagined her sister could not care less, deranged as she was. Bellatrix and still been taken advantage of in a way, she was not to know that the man she had slept with was not her husband but infact Snape under a new experimental potion, stronger than the polyjuice potion in that it allowed one to temporarily taken on the subjects magical signature. It was incredibly unfortunate that Bellatrix had been taking conception enhancers in order to create heirs and thus new followers for the Dark Lord. So Naricssa felt justified in feeling slighted on her sister's behalf.

But then her thoughts turned to Tabitha,whom was bound to be experiencing feelings of confusion and rejection. The Malfoy's had managed to sidestep any questions about her father, always able to distract the young girl, now, there would be many difficult questions to ask. They would need to discuss the degree of truth that they would use to explain to their Niece. Narcissa also felt bitter, as she had raised Tabitha from birth, literally as the mediwitch had removed her from Bellatrix's womb the child was handed straight to Narcissa. Bellatrix was placed under a full body-bind charm, and a sedation potion as well as numbing and pain relieving labour potions, the child was removed from her womb with a caesarean spell in the Azkaban cell. Bellatrix had been freed a few weeks after the birth but had not come to retrieve the child, much to Narcissa's eternal relief. Tabitha had been very withdrawn for a few weeks, probably the effects of being exposed to the dementors whilst in-vitro and her first moments of life outside the womb. However the child brightened everyday, showing no sign of her mother's mental malady. And then, Draco had come along a mere four months later. Narcissa had of course, had her hands full, but she immensely enjoyed it. She had help from the nanny who turned into the governess for the young magical children, as well as the house elves. But Narcissa derived great pleasure from watching her little ones grown, Draco was her son, her only child, but Tabitha was her first baby and had a special place in her heart. It therefore angered her to think that Severus Snape could waltz in and change that. Tabitha may feel an innate loyalty to the man or simply crave a father of her own. Lucius had been exceedingly kind, for a man like him, to the young Witch but he did not show the same pride that he did in Draco. Perhaps this could cause Tabitha to yearn for a more fatherly figure? Could Narcissa lose her precious niece, her little Stella to Snivelly Snape?

/

Lucius Malfoy glanced at his wife, and saw she was in deep thought, he absently mindedly liked his fingers for the house elf to bring him some Sherry. He settled into his desk chair to begin to plan and scheme how he would be able to extract information from Snape using the man's own daughter and what advantages this may bring. Lucius' eyes gleamed in anticipation.

/

Draco peered over at his cousin, she was sitting primly at her desk with her quill in her left hand scribbling answers on the parchment whilst her right hand fiddled with her hair. She was probably writing all the correct information but Draco could tell by her expression she was not paying her utmost attention to the topic. He was feeling slightly bemused by the entire situation, although he did not think they had anything to fear from Severus Snape. Whilst the man _was_ a legendary potions master he appeared rather scrawny in appearance and surely did not know half the amount of dark curses that Father did. Draco felt reassured in the family's safety. It did not even cross his mind that Tabitha may go to live with her father, after all who would want to live with a _half blooded_ pathetic teacher?

/

Tabitha's hand writing sprawled across the page, her rudimentary arithmancy sums whilst all correct were not at all neatly presented. She would be reprimanded by her governess, Madame Willow surely. But Tabitha's mind was whirring at a thousand miles a minute, she could not believe all that had happened.

She did have a father!

She trawled her mind for references or information about her father but drew up a blank, he had simply never been mentioned. In fact, she had always assumed that Rodolphus LeStrange had been her father, but then her last names would make little sense, how could she have been so stupid? And Severus Snape's last name was Snape and not Prince, therefore he must have some muggle blood the logical section of her brain informed her. This did not disgust the young girl, she was mildly curious as to muggles, she wondered why the evoked such a strong reaction from her Uncle. Therefore she only carried the pureblood surname from her father and her mother's maiden name. The maiden name made sense, as, in Wizarding law if the child is born to a mother who is married to a different man from the father the child would automatically receive the maiden name, it appeared instantly on the birth certificate, impossible to eradicate, a sure indicator of infidelity. Perhaps she had received the pureblood name from Snape as she was three-quarters wizard and only a quarter muggle, it was a question Tabitha added to her mental list to discuss with her Aunt and Uncle. Tabitha had **many** questions she wanted answering, some specifically from her father.

The young witch excused herself and retired to her bed chambers, falling into an uneasy and restless sleep. Much like her Aunt and Father who went to bed many, many hours after.

 ** _A/N I hope you all enjoyed! -Bethany_**


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